You've GOT to be kidding...!!!

Michael Hoffman


My complaint is that they serve their burgers on toast at Louis Lunch. Considering that I've been complaining to them about that for more than half a century I'm starting to think they haven't been listening.

 
Michael, it sounds to me like you prefer your burgers on toast.  I am sure that if you did not, you would no longer frequent the place.  Now you make me want to visit Louis Lunch.
 
Sioncerely
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Truth is, I do not like my hamburgers on toast. But, it's a great place, and the Lassens are cousins of mine.

In so many ways this is becoming one of the best topics ever.
 
Keep it coming!

OK Jim, I will, As a Restaurant owner I do it my way, every day, all day. Anyone who doesn't like it can go to Famous Dave's...ie. hell!

chewingthefat

I do it my way, every day, all day.

 
I think I see a new t-shirt idea. 
 
 

chewingthefat


OK Jim, I will, As a Restaurant owner I do it my way, every day, all day. Anyone who doesn't like it can go to Famous Dave's...ie. hell!

 
I ate at a Famous Dave's for the first time last weekend. It raised the question, is mediocre barbeque better than good anything else? I say, "no". Mediocre is mediocre, regardless of the style.

I'm with you on that, Mosca. 
 
I went to law school in Nashville, and I really miss barbecue now that I live in the Great Frozen North.  I had avoided Famous Dave's for years, but when they opened at daytime outlet at the University of Minnesota medical complex a few years ago, I tried it.  Once.  Once was more than enough.  I'd rather go without, or wait for the next time I change planes at the Memphis airport.  There are plenty of great dining options in the Twin Cities for other kinds of food. Barbecue just doesn't happen to be one of them. (And yes, I've tried Ted Cook's, Rooster's, and Cap's Grille.) 

But have you tried Baker's Ribs in Eden Prairie?  They're part of a small chain based in Texas.  They actually had their smoker built in the Lone Star State and shipped north.  We've eaten there many times during visits to The Twins over the last six or seven years.  Maybe not the best Barbecue I've ever had, but certainly the best I've eaten in the Mpls/StP metro area.
 
Buddy
 
Baker's Ribs
8019 Glen Lane
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
(952) 942-5337
http://www.bakersribs.com/index.html

I haven't! Thanks for the recommendation.  It's a bit of a hike to Eden Prairie for me, but I will definitely keep it in mind.

Michael Hoffman
 
and the Lassens are cousins of mine.

Any relation to Peter Lassen, the trail blazerof the 1800's ...???
I don't know how common or rare the name is...
 
(Mt Lassen, Lassen County, and the Lassen-Applegate Trail were named after Peter Lassen)
 
I need to go down to Ukiah once I get over this flu, to buy a new western hat, and I think I'll go to the truckstop for a French Dip...and a milkshake...

chewingthefat


OK Jim, I will, As a Restaurant owner I do it my way, every day, all day. Anyone who doesn't like it can go to Famous Dave's...ie. hell!

As a Customer, I get it my way,all day, every day. This bullsh-t of no Ketchup, we want you to taste the meat, Yadda, Yadda, Yadda. After I buy the burger, It's mine, don't worry if I eat it standing on my head, it's not any ones business how someone tops their burger, it's just up to them to provide normal condiments that people may want. Ketchup isn't out of the realm of condiments that people want on their burgers. I would rather have a Louis Lunch burger sitting on their front sidewalk curb, sitting next to my little girl "who likes ketchup on her burger" knowing we follow our own path in life. I'm teaching her how to be a leader, not a follower. She saw this restaurant on the food channel one time, she heard that they don't allow ketchup, she turned to me and said, we won't go there PaPa will we ?? my answer was, no sweetheart we won't................I have been involved in over 20 successful restaurant ventures, I have never turned down any customer for anything in over 30 years. If they want to put Ketchup on their Lobster, so be it, I may not like it, but they pay the bills............Great customer service is 100%, any thing short of that is doing it their way, not the customers way.
  My family and I were in a Restaurant in Portland,Or one day, my wife ordered a Pepsi, the waitress said we only have Coke. My wife said thats ok, I only like Pepsi, I'll just have water. The waitress walked down the street to a corner store and bought a can of Pepsi and brought my wife a glass of ice. This is my kind of waitress, she was tipped real well, but thats not the reason why she did it. The waitress just said, if she wanted it, thats all that mattered to her. This to me was 100% customer service...........pnwc

That's great C.S. she went out of her way even though she didn't need to...
 
The Coast Starlight serves only Pepsi, so I now know to pack my own Coke...
 

pnwchef


As a Customer, I get it my way,all day, every day. This bullsh-t of no Ketchup, we want you to taste the meat, Yadda, Yadda, Yadda. After I buy the burger, It's mine, don't worry if I eat it standing on my head, it's not any ones business how someone tops their burger, it's just up to them to provide normal condiments that people may want. Ketchup isn't out of the realm of condiments that people want on their burgers. I would rather have a Louis Lunch burger sitting on their front sidewalk curb, sitting next to my little girl "who likes ketchup on her burger" knowing we follow our own path in life. I'm teaching her how to be a leader, not a follower. She saw this restaurant on the food channel on time, she heard that they don't allow ketchup, she turned to me and said, we won't go there PaPa will we ?? my answer was, no sweetheart we won't................I have been involved in over 20 successful restaurant ventures, I have never turned down any customer for anything in over 30 years. If they want to put Ketchup on their Lobster, so be it, I may not like it, but they pay the bills............Great customer service is don't 100%, any thing short of that is doing it your way, not the customers way.
My family and I were in a Restaurant in Portland,Or one day, my wife ordered a Pepsi, the waitress said we only have Coke. My wife said thats ok, I only like Pepsi, I'll just have water. The waitress walked down the street to a corner store and bought a can of Pepsi and brought my wife a glass of ice. This is my kind of waitress, she was tipped real well, but thats not the reason why she did it. The waitress just said, if she wanted it, thats all that mattered to her. This to me was 100% customer service...........pnwc

 
To each his own. I am not above trying something out of my comfort zone now and again. 

My lunch was superb, as always.

chewingthefat


OK Jim, I will, As a Restaurant owner I do it my way, every day, all day. Anyone who doesn't like it can go to Famous Dave's...ie. hell!

One of my least successful ventures was owning a restaurant in PG Co.  The thievery was so epic and "professional" that my franchisor said the local schools must be offering courses in it!  To adapt the old joke about owning a boat - the second happiest day of my life was opening a restaurant; the happiest was finding Koreans with cash who wanted my restaurant!
 
I agree about Famous Daves.  I went to the one over in Sterling, VA once.   In Texas we have Dickey's:  nasty food + screaming kids = !

Twinwillow


To BackRhodes, hang in there and don't let the negative remarks turn you off. Fortunately, they're few and far between. Personally, I always respect what you have to say. Regardless of whether I agree with you or not.

I rise to "second" the sentiment expressed by my distinguished Metroplex colleague. 
 
BackRhodes, anyone who likes trains and roadfood I consider to be a gentleman and scholar.

We are still waiting  for the Maryland based Chubby's Restaurant owner to venture West. Until then Famous Daves will have to do, of course they don't offer an owner roaming the dining room with civil war stories. We will have to patiently wait for this Roadfood  BBQ Restaurant favorite....................pnwc

pnwchef

My family and I were in a Restaurant in Portland,Or one day, my wife ordered a Pepsi, the waitress said we only have Coke. My wife said thats ok, I only like Pepsi, I'll just have water. The waitress walked down the street to a corner store and bought a can of Pepsi and brought my wife a glass of ice. This is my kind of waitress, she was tipped real well, but thats not the reason why she did it. The waitress just said, if she wanted it, thats all that mattered to her. This to me was 100% customer service...........pnwc

Great Story!  Thanks for sharing it...

Thanks Jim... I *do* like playing with trains in whatever capacity I can...this time it was as a passenger...but at other times it's "hands on"...
 

 

 
WP 2001 is the very 1st GP20 that EMD ever built
 
Ah...I finally found these menu's from a charter trip for y'all to check out...
 

 
A few months ago there was a Santa Fe diner car for sale on the Ozark Mountain Railcar site...and the kitchen was INTACT...!!!  I wish I could've afforded it...
 
Mar...did you have your favorite pork sandwich...???

Pork sandwich, topped with the coleslaw and a light smear of mustard.  Accompanied by a pickle.
 
Yummmmm

Picture from a previous visit that also included a picled egg: